I watched him walk away, wondering if it was too late to buy more time with my fantasy girl.
* * *
“Thanks for coming with me tonight,” I said, watching Briar curl her small hands around an oversized mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream. That had become our nightly ritual. Another one of the many things I was going to miss when I headed home.
She smiled before taking a sip. “Anytime you need a date for one of those things, I’m your girl. It was fun to get all dressed up.” She winked. “And I forgot what a good dancer you are. Not that I should be surprised. You do have incredible… rhythm.”
I laughed when her eyes trailed over my body as she licked her lips. “So, you’d be willing to suffer through a few more of those things?” I asked, feeling hopeful. “Because it seems we always have one to go to, and it might be nice to take you instead of…” I had the good sense to shut my mouth when she raised an eyebrow. “Uh, someone else.”
“But how would that work?” she asked, looking thoughtful. “You know, since we’re supposed to be breaking up and all.”
I sighed, feeling my opportunity slipping away. “Good point. Never mind.”
“We don’t have to break up right away,” she said, seeming hesitant. “I mean, we don’t have to make it official right now, do we?”
Hope surged again, making me wonder if she wasn’t as eager as I assumed she’d be to put an end to our ruse. “I have no interest in dating other people, if that’s what you’re asking. You?”
She shuddered before shaking her head. “Ugh! After my last experience, I don’t even know how long it’ll be before I trust myself to date again.”
I curled my hand around her knee, feeling a stab of sympathy. “Hey, there are a lot of good guys out there, Briar.” Not that I wanted her to seek them out. “Just because some asshole spooked you doesn’t mean you should be afraid to put yourself out there again.” The words burned like acid on my tongue, but I knew she needed to hear them.
“I know.” We shared a smile before she said, “You restored my faith in good guys, Lennox. As long as I know there are men like you out there, I’ll keep looking.”
“Looking for what?” I asked, knowing it was the time to challenge her. “I thought you weren’t interested in a relationship.”
“I’m actually not as bad at the whole girlfriend thing as I thought I would be,” she said, biting her lip. “Hanging out at home with you most nights hasn’t been… torture.” She grinned. “But the hot sex might have helped sweeten the pot. I can’t count on that with every guy, can I?”
I wanted to tell her I was the only one who could make her feel that way, but I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear that, so I said, “Let your walls down, Briar. If you swear off commitment you could be missing out on a shot at happiness.”With me.
She tipped her head to the side, studying me. “I think I’ve started to let my walls down. And you’ve helped me with that. So, thank you.”
I smiled, feeling a surge of pleasure at the acknowledgement she’d started to let me in. “My pleasure. So, uh, about dating…” I considered my words carefully because I was afraid of spooking her. “I mean, you escorting me to some of these events, as my fiancée, how would that work?”
She sipped her hot chocolate before she said, “I owe you big-time, Rhett. You gave me my life back. My freedom. Peace of mind. Sanity.”
I didn’t want her to go out with me because she thought she had to re-pay some debt. I wanted her to want to be with me. But I knew I couldn’t push too hard. If I did, I’d risk pushing her away. “You don’t owe me—”
“Yes, I do.” She reached for my hand. “You really came through for me. So, if escorting you to some of these functions would make your life a little easier, it’s the least I can do.” She squeezed my hand as her bright eyes shone with amusement. “You know, to protect you from all of those gold-diggers who want to bag one of the most eligible bachelors in the state.”
I groaned, tipping my head back. “Please, don’t remind me.”
“Besides, how would it look if we ended it so soon? People would think we’re impulsive and fickle. That wouldn’t be good for your reputation. You need to project an image of being steadfast and reliable, right? For the sake of your business.”
It sounded like she was trying to pitch the idea of prolonging our fake engagement and I couldn’t figure out the reason. Was she genuinely trying to help me, because I’d helped her, or did she want to spend more time with me? Maybe, like me, she wasn’t ready for this to end either.
“Uh, right.” I’d have been a fool to argue if she was willing to grant me more time. “As long as you’re sure you don’t mind.” I glanced at her hand. “And you’d keep wearing the ring?”
“Of course. If I didn’t people would start to question it, don’t you think?”
The thought of her walking around with my engagement ring on shouldn’t make me so happy, but it did. “Yeah, I do.” I smiled. “Okay, well thanks for helping me out with this, Briar. I’ll try not to monopolize too much of your time.”
She curled her arm around my neck before leaning in while balancing her mug between us. “Hanging out with you isn’t exactly punishment, Lennox. In fact, I’m kind of starting to like it.”
ChapterTwelve
Briar
It had been six days since Rhett moved out of my house and I was climbing the walls. I needed to see him, so I convinced Gia to go to his bar with me for a few drinks, but not before I texted Rhett to make sure he’d be there. He said he could be, which I assumed meant he would be, to see me.
